A butcher has been ordered to pay £6,000 after health inspectors found a catalogue of stomach-churning hygiene failures - including thousands of dead FLIES.

Environment health inspectors made the gruesome discovery during an unannounced visit to a butcher's shop run by Christopher Cassidy, 53.

Officials found filthy equipment and utensils used to prepare and serve food, a lack of food hygiene training for staff and dirty aprons and tabards worn by staff.

Shockingly, officials also found an unemptied fly trap containing thousands of dead flies.

Staff working in C.Cassidy and Sons Ltd in Hucknall, Notts., were also found to be serving on both the raw meats and ready to eat counter, creating a risk of cross contamination.

Multiple surfaces and many fixtures and fittings including towel dispensers, hand soap dispensers and chiller door seals were all found to be in a poor and dirty condition.

Following the inspections, carried out on September 9 last year and January 5 this year by Ashfield District Council officers, Cassidy voluntarily agreed to close the premises.

The food hygiene rating score of the premises was also reduced to zero.

A revisit was made on the morning of January 6 this year, and officers found the cleaning standards were still unacceptable and the premises remained closed.

In another inspection later that day, inspectors considered the imminent risk of cross contamination no longer existed and the business was re-opened.

Cassidy, of Hucknall, pleaded guilty to ten offences charged under food hygiene regulations at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

He was fined £1,500 fine and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £4,671.

The judge said his business was in a very poor state and that there had been serious failures.

Inspectors re-visited several times during January, finding some improvements.

A hygiene improvement notice was served in March 2016, requiring food handlers and management to receive food hygiene training.

A further re-visit of the premises in July 2016 revealed there were still issues that could lead to food being contaminated, including dirty surfaces and no adequate food safety management system.

Following the re-visit, the shop's food hygiene rating score increased to one out of five.

Labour councillor Nicolle Ndiweni, Ashfield District Council's portfolio holder for community safety engagement who represents the Hucknall Central ward, said: "Food hygiene is of utmost importance and breaches can potentially lead to severe harm for the public.

"In this case, there was a complete lack of basic cleaning and good food hygiene practices were not followed. Preparing food in a dirty environment is not just bad practice, it can lead to serious illness or even death.

"Ashfield's officers made every effort to work with Mr Cassidy to see improvements made, but had to act in the interests of public safety when issues raised were left unaddressed."